Monday, June 22, 2009

Book Review - Fabulous Fabric Beads


Fabulous Fabric Beads
Kristal Wick
Interweave Books, 2008 Paperback, 111 pages
$22.95

I've had two opportunities to meet Kristal at IQF Samplers in Houston and Chicago. Each time, I was impressed. Kristal has finally published her first book, Fabulous Fabric Beads: Create Custom Beads and Art Jewelry. The book is most appropriately named.

Quilters are known for saving the most insignificant scraps of fabric in the hope of using them again. Kristal provides 24 different beads to try, using fabric, paper, ribbon, leather, metal, mixed media, wood and resin.

The book is broken into three sections. The first section illustrates surface designs, and you can test these methods on beads first, and try them on larger pieces of fabric later. The second section provides how-to, with beautiful, step-by-step easy to follow illustrations. Kristal provides plenty of notes for variations.

The third section is filled with projects, a beautiful section with color palettes, a gallery, a beading techniques primer, and a list of resources.

This is great book for beginners and experienced beaders who are looking for another type of bead to add to their repertoire.